Cleaning tool for meat tenderizing machines



April 7, 1953 c. B. ROBBINS 2,633,594

CLEANING TOOL FOR MEAT TENDERIZING MACHINES Filed Sept. 18, 1951 BY IW627 ATTORNEYS from the use thereof.

Patented Apr. 7, 1953 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE CLEANING TOOL FORMEAT TENDERIZING MACHINES Clifford B. Robbins, Tampa, Fla. ApplicationSeptember 18, 1951, Serial No. 247,157

4 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a tool for cleaning meat tenderizingmachines, and more particularly, has reference to a hand tool used forcleaning machines of the type including a cutting roll and a pluralityof cutting disks spaced longitudinally of said roll.

Machine of the character stated are exceedingly difficult to clean, dueto the closely spaced relation of the several disks, and the formationof food deposits upon the spacing washers interposed between said disks.Heretofore, it has been common practice to remove the cutting disks, andas will be appreciated, this has proved to be a time consuming operationwhich the users of the machines dislike performing, despite the factthat the machines require almost constant cleaning if they are to bekept in completely 7 sanitary condition.

Heretofore, to my knowledge there has not been devised a tool adaptedspecifically for cleaning machines of the character stated, and it istherefore the main object of the present invention to provide aninexpensive hand tool novelly designed to meet this particular need.

It is another important object to provide a tool of the type statedwhich is applicable to a machine used for tenderizing meat withoutrequiring the removal of the cutter rolls.

Yet another important object is to provide a tool as described which isapplicable with ease and facility to the cutter rolls, so as toaccomplish the cleaning of the rolls in a minimum of time and withlittle difficulty, thus to permit the user of the machine to clean therolls as often as he may desire without putting the machine out foperation.

Still another important object is to provide a.

- tool as stated which will have no moving parts,

and will be adapted for manufacture at relatively low cost, consideringthe benefit to be obtained Other objects will appear from the following.description, the claims appended thereto, and

from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designatelike parts throughout with the present invention, as it appears when inuse;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the hand tool;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view; Figure 4 is a sectional viewthrough the head portion of the tool, taken substantially on line 4--4of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view; and

Figure 6 is a side elevational View of the head portion of the tool, asit appears when applied to a cutter roll and washer of small diameter.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the tool formed in accordance withthe present invention includes a handle [0 which may be of any desiredconfiguration.

Integral or otherwise made rigid with the handle H! at one end thereofis a head I2, formed integrally with a plurality of spaced cleaningblades 14. The cleaning blades I4 are extended away from the head I2 inspaced, parallel planes, as may be readily noted by reference to Figure3.

The construction of each blade i4 is particularly well illustrated inFigure 2, each blade being of relatively wide formation, and comprisinga pair of elongated, parallel outer fingers [6. The outer fingers I5 areformed with end edges I8 which are extended in outwardly diverging re.-lation relative to the head 12. A'plurality of transverse notches 20 isformed in each of the end edges l8, for a purposeto be made presentlyapparent.

The outer fingers iii are spaced from and are parallel to a centrallydisposed inner finger 22.

' The inner finger 22 is substantially shorter in 1 with end edgeportions 24 that are extended in converging relation relative to thehead l2, said end edge portions being extended into convergence alongthe longitudinal center line of the tool. Notches 26 are formed in theend edge portions 24.

Defined between the inner finger 22 and the respective outer fingers [6are elongated, slotlike recesses 28, that open inwardly from the outerend of the cleaning head.

In Figure 1, the tool is illustrated as it appears when applied to asteak tenderizing machine 30 of conventional formation. In theillustrated example of a tenderizing machine, only one cutter roll isillustrated, but it will be understood that such machines areconventionally constructed with a plurality of such rolls.

In any event, the machine 3!] is of a type that includes a plurality ofcutting disks or knives a 32, mounted upon and spaced longitudinally ofa 1 cutter r011 34. The cutter roll 34 is generally provided (Figure 6)with a number of spacing washers 36, corresponding in number to thepoint of the inner finger 22.

cuttings disks 32, and interposed between said disks, so as to space thedisks closely apart.

It will be readily appreciated that meat will tend to become depositedin the spaces between the disks 32, and in the crevices defined betweensaid disks and washers 36.

Heretofore this has been a serious problem in the art, in view of thefact that not only has it been difficult to keep the machines in asanitary condition, but also the formation of the food deposits tends toreact chemically upon the materials of which the cutting disks and rollsare formed.

In any event, the several blades 14 are formed to a thicknessapproximating the width of the spaces between the cutting disks 32, asmay be observed by referring to Figure 1. When the blades are insertedin the spaces between the disks 32, the fingers will engage the washers36, in the manner illustrated in Figure 6. In this connection, theparticular formation of the several fingers is such as to permit theapplication of the tool to cutter rolls and washers of d-ifierent difameters, without sacrificing the eihciency of the cleaning action uponsaid rolls. In other words,

. in Figure 6 there is illustrated a cutter roll 34 and an associatedwasher 36 of small diameter, and in cleaning such a roll, one of theouter fingers 16 has its end edge l8 disposed tangentially to the washerat one location upon the periphery of the washer, while the contiguousend edge portion 24 of the center finger 22 is arranged tangentially tothe washer at another location upon the periphery of the washer. Thenotches 26!, 26, in this connection, set up a scraping action upon thewasher, and have been found to be considerably more efficient incleaning food deposits from the washer than a smooth surface.

If a cutter roll is of large diameter, it might be engaged by the endedges it of the two outer fingers, and may or may not also be engaged bythe Or, a cutter roll of medium diameter might be engaged by one endedge :8 and by the point of the center or inner finger 22.

These desirable results are achieved by the formation of each blade [4with a plurality of spaced, parallel fingers, the outer fingers being ofsubstantially greater length than the center finger, and all of saidfingers being formed with angularly related end edges in the mannerillustrated in the drawings.

The provision of the elongated recesses 23 between the several fingersof each blade is also of importance, since these recesses providecavities receiving the food particles wiped from the faces of the disks32, and from the surface of the cutter roll. In other words, when thecutter roll and disks are engaged by the blades of the tool, the sidefaces of the respective blades will wipe over the confronting faces ofadjacent disks to be deposited in the elongated recesses 28.Simultaneously with the wiping action referred to, the end edges of thefingers will be wiping particles from the cutter roll, and theseparticles also will move into the recesses 28.

I believe it will be apparent that the tool formed as illustrated anddescribed is applicable to conventional meat tenderiaing machines, andcan be manufactured at relatively low cost, while still being whollyefficient in cleaning the machines. Obviously, particular dimensions canbe varied, to adapt the tool for particular machines, as for example,where a machine may have the cutting disks 32 spaced for closelytogether, or for that 4 matter further apart, than the cutting disksillustre-ted in the machine 30.

It is believed clear that the inventi n is not necessarily confined tothe specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carryout said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor changes in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cleaning tool for a meat tenderizing machine of the typeincluding a cutter roll and a plurality of cutting disks spacedlongitudinally of said roll, a handle; a head thereon; and a pluralityof-fiat cleaning blades extending from and rigid with the head andproportioned to extend into the spaces between the disks, said bladesindividually corresponding'in thickness to thewidth of the spacesbetween the disks so as to cause the opposite faces of each blade toengage and clean the confronting faces of adjacent disks, each bladebeing integrally-formed with a pluraiity of coplanar fingers spacedapart to define food-receiving recesses, the free ends of the fingersbeing pointed for engagement with said roll to clean food depositstherefrom simultaneously with cleaning of said confronting faces of thedisks.

In a cleaning tool for a meat tenderizing machine of the type includinga cutter roll and a plurality of cutting disks spaced longitudinally ofsaid roll, a handle; a head rigid therewith; and a plurality of flat,wide cleaning blades rigid with and extending in parallel planes fromsaid head and formed to a thickness approximating the width of thespaces between the several cutting disks, so as to wipe over theconfronting faces of adjacent disks, each blade being formed as aplurality of parallel fingers integrally joined at one end and pointedat their other ends for engagement with a cutting roll to clean saidroll simultaneously with wiping of the blades over said confrontingfaces of the disks, said fingers being spaced apart to define aplurality of recesses in each blade opening inwardly from therollengaging ends of the fingers to receive material cleaned from theroll and from said confronting faces of the disks.

3. In a cleaning tool for a meat tenderizing machine of the typeincluding a cutter roll and a plurality of cutting disks spacedlongitudinally of said roll, a handle; a head rigid therewith; and aplurality of flat, wide cleaning blades rigid with and extending inparallel planes from the head and formed to a thickness approximatingthe width of the spaces between the several cutting disks, so as to wipeover the confrontmg faces of adjacent disks, each blade being formed asa plurality of elongated, wide, parallel fingers, said fingers includinga pair of identical though opposite outer fingers having end edgesextending in diverging relation from the head and an inner fingerarranged centrally between the outer fingers and substantially shorterin length than the outer fingers, said innor finger being formed with anend edge having end edge portions converging in a direction away fromthe head to cooperate with the respective end edges of the outer fingersto engage and clean cutter rolls of difierent diameters, said inner andouter fingers defining deep, parallel, slot-like recesses at oppositesides of the inner finger opening inwardly from the roll-engaging endsof the fingers to receive material cleaned from the roll and from saidconfronting faces of the disks.

4. In a cleaning tool for a meat tenderizing machine of the typeincluding a cutter roll and a plurality of cutting disks spacedlongitudinally of said roll, a handle; a head rigid therewith; and aplurality of fiat, wide cleaning blades rigid with and extending inparallel planes from the head and formed to a thickness approximatingthe width of the spaces between the several cutting disks, so as to wipeover the confronting faces of adjacent disks, each blade being formed asa plurality of elongated, wide, parallel fingers, said fingers includinga pair of identical though opposite outer fingers having end edgesextending in diverging relation from the head and an inner fingerarranged centrally between the outer fingers and substantially shorterin length than the outer fingers, said inner finger being formed with anend edge having end edge portions converging in a direction away fromthe head to cooperate with the respective end edges of the outer fingersto engage and clean cutter rolls of diiferent diameters, said inner andouter fingers defining deep, parallel, slot-like recesses at oppositesides of the inner finger opening inwardly from the roll-engaging endsof the fingers to receive material cleaned from the roll and from saidconfronting faces of the disks, the end edges of the several fingershaving a plurality of small notches formed therein adapted to effect ascraping action upon said cutting roll.

CLIFFORD B. ROBBINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

